NEWS- BANNER

It was a beautiful day to check ice here in Tioga County. Conditions have not improved since our last report, but they haven't degraded much either. The ice handled Sunday's rain and weekend warmth well, and as soon as we see cold weather, conditions will improve. This weekend's warmup will be problematic, but with the short days and the start of winter, things should shape again soon. It is unlikely that the lakes will be in fishable condition this weekend.

Remember to check conditions yourself before venturing onto any of the lakes. These reports are for reference only. There are spots of thinner and potentially dangerous ice on all of the lakes.

Hills Creek State Park- A few people fished today off the stumps end. We marked 3.5 to just over 4" across coming straight off the Beaver Huts launch to a couple hundred yards out. The edge was a little wet, but mostly frozen and we had no trouble getting on the ice. This should harden up some tonight too. Off the Pines launch we found 3.5", with open water under/around the dock area. Again, expect to find thinner ice towards the dam.

Beechwood Lake- We checked Beechwood at the launch. The very edge was thawed, but again, we had no trouble getting on the ice. This particular area varies in thickness. We punched holes within 5 feet of each other and found 3" in one and 4" in the other. We did not venture far from the launch, because of this. Definitely use a spud bar and check the ice yourself with every step. With another burst of cold air, this will be fishable soon.

Hamilton- The launch area has reopened again. The edges are mostly thawed on the lower end too. We did not attempt to access the ice. Again, we need good cold weather.